Tejpatta, or Indian bay leaves, are a different variety from European bay laurel leaves. They are the leaf of the cassia, or cinnamon tree, and taste of cinnamon too. They are essential to many Indian recipes such as garam masala.
 
Indian Bay Leaves come from a tree in the family Lauraceae that is native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. It can grow up to 20 m (66 ft) tall. 
 
In India they are common to be ground into a powder and added to curries. If you use them whole, you should always remove them afterward as they are quite hard and unpleasant to eat in the whole form.